Flexible support for a nursing bottle



United States Patent [n13,543,976

72] Inventor Bella Ronald 1,383,125 6/1921 Kennedy, Jr 224/1(.1) Box 311, Mlddletown, New Jersey 07748 2,357,363 9/1944 Smith et a1 224/ 1(. 1) [21] Appl. No. 747,741 2,550,433 4/1951 Tichenor 224/1(.1) [22] Filed July 25,1968 2,815,909 12/1957 Paprocki et al.... 248/102 [45] Patented Dec. 1, 1970 3,065,944 1 H1962 Liebendorfer 224/5(23) FOREIGN PATENTS [s4] FLEXIBLE SUPPORT FOR A NURSING BOTTLE 177,255 11/1961 Sweden 224/1-1 1 Claim, 2 Drawing Figs. Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza Assistant ExaminerRobert J. Spar [52] U.S. Cl. Howard T Jeandmn [51] Int. Cl A61j 9/06 [50] Field of Search 248/102; j ABSTRACT; A'nul-sing bottle holder to support a nursing bob 224/1.1. 5, 5- tie that is to be placed about an infant's neck to retain the bottle in a position that is most accessible for nursing, comprised [56] References Cmd ofa flexible strap with one end adjustable to grip the neck of UNITED STATES PATENTS the nursing bottle and the other end adjustable to fit the in- 1,014,004 1/1912 Irwin 248/102 fants neck and retain the nursing bottle in a proper accessible 1,136,529 4/1915 H0pwood.... 248/102 position in front of the infant and with a pivotally supported, 1 ,3 32,088 2/1920 Wagner 224/1(. 1) snap spring to join both ends together.

Patentd Dec. 1, 1970 3,543,976

INVENTOR 5514/4 flan A10 AQ'ENT FLEXIBLE SUPPORT FOR A NURSING BOTTLE This invention relates to a means of supporting anursing bottle about an infant's neck for feeding and more particularly a means of flexibly suspending a nursing bottle in a manner convenient to the infant for feeding.

Supports for baby bottles are not .new but most of those found are for mounting around the mothers neck so that she may free her hands for other uses, or the bottle support is for mounting in a crib or carriage. However although these bottle supports are helpful for a bottle nursing baby, there comes a time in the growth of the baby that the majority of the nursing is not while being held or being attended. The baby becomes an infant with certain naturalintelligence or normal responses and learns to grasp the nursing bottle and feed him or herself. In this early stage the infant cannot be expected to retain and support the bottle but if the bottle is suspended about the infant's neck and readily accessible for the infant to simplymove and guide the nipple to the mouth, nursing results without aid. This type of nursing is not intended for the very young but rather it is intended for the infant when the hands are beginning to be used intelligently and from that point on until the infant is weaned from a bottle.

It is an object of this invention to provide a means of supporting a nursing bottle suspended from the neck of an infant for feeding.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a flexible supporting means for supporting a nursingbottle suspended from the neck of an infant in a readily accessible position for feeding.

lt is a still further object of this invention to provide a flexible strap with one end adjustable to grip the neck of a nursing bottle and the other end adjustable to pass around the infant's neck and be connected to the bottle by a pivotally supported spring snap. 7

Further objects of this invention shall be apparent by reference to the accompanying detailed description and the FIG. 2 is a plan view partially in cross section taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings there is illustrated a combination nursing bottle and supporting means 10 which includes a flexible and a pliable strap 14 that is used to support a nursing bottle 12. The manner in which the strap is attached to the nursing bottle 12 is as follows: one end is formed as a loop 18. The end of the strap is provided with a slide buckle 22, slide buckle 22 is the adjustable type so that the loop 18 may be positioned about the neck 20 of the nursing bottle 12 and the slide buckle 22 adjusted to tighten the strap about the neck 20 of the bottle. Also within loop 18 there is a fastening link 32 that is also slideable in loop 18, At the opposite end of the main portion of the strap 14,.there is also a loop 16 formed with a similar slide buckle 24 affixed at the end of the strap,

2" the portion 14 passing through the slide buckle and through a link 26 so that the end 16 may be adjusted to any desired length. The link 26 is a rectangular-shaped link, one side of which supports a pivotal ring 28, the ring in turn supporting a spring snap 30 being the means of attaching the loose end of strap 14 to the jump ring 32 which is attached to the end 18 of strap l4. The nursing bottle and strap are combined as stated above by affixing the loop 18 of strap [4 about the neck 20 of the bottle and the strap 14 is placed about the neck of an infant and the snap 30 is snapped upon jump ring 32 to thus support bottle l2 in front of the infant and loop 16 may be adjusted to position the bottle in a reasonable position for the infant to beable to grasp the bottle for feeding when desired. It is apparent that with the fpivotally supported spring snap 30, the strap 14 will not be twisted and may be retained in a comfortable flat position about the infants neck without irritation or annoyance. It is also apparent that the strap is easily disconnected by an adult but will not be disconnected by the infant. The strap is also easily cleaned to be sanitary at all times. To

insure maximum safety to the infant using this strap nursing bottle holder,- the ump ring 32 IS designed and constructed to separate and release the strap under excessive tensionv Although a particular type of nursing bottle 12 has been illustrated, any type of nursing bottle may be utilized and the loop 18 may be adjustable fitted to the particular nursing bottle. It is also to be understood that strap 14 may be of any desired material as long as it is flexible and pliable but retains the desired adjustment without stretching to release bottle 12 from its adjusted holding relation. It is also to be further understood that although a particular type of spring snap has been illustrated, other fastening means may be used as long as the pivotal spring snap is provided without departing from the spirit of this invention and this invention shall be limited only by the appended claims.

lclaim:

l. A support for nursing bottles comprising a flexible pliable suspension strap having one end adapted to encircle the "neck of a bottle to retain said bottle and the other end of said strap provided with an adjustable loop, a spring snap slidably affixed to'the adjustable loopiend. a slide buckle mounted on the strap intermediate its ends but adjacent the said one end that is used to form a tight fitting loop around the neck of a nursing bottle, a ring slidably mounted on said strap within the tight fitting loop of said strap that fits around the neck of said bottle, a second slide buckle mounted on the strap intermediate its ends but adjacent said other end for forming said adjustable loop so as to fit about an infant's neck, means to pivotally connect said spring snap to said adjustable loop end, wherein said spring vsnap is connected to said slideably mounted ring to form an individually fitted and adjustable support for said nursing bottle so that when said strap becomes twisted or entangled, said strap may be detached and all tension released. 

